GROUPE RENAULT OPENS A NEW DESIGN CENTER IN SHANGHAI

Groupe Renault’s Design Department is pursuing its strategy of international expansion with the opening of Renault Design Center Shanghai, the group’s sixth design center worldwide. The team of designers at the Renault studio in Shanghai will draw its creativity from a city on the leading edge of technologies in the development of connected, innovative and… Continue reading GROUPE RENAULT OPENS A NEW DESIGN CENTER IN SHANGHAI

Japan’s Suzuki Motor estimates 714 mln dollar loss in cars recall

TOKYO, April 12 (Xinhua) — Japan's automaker Suzuki Motor Corp. said Friday it will log about 80 billion yen (714 million U.S. dollars) in loss in fiscal year 2018 due to a recall of two million vehicles in Japan.

The corporation also submitted an investigation report on inappropriate checks on brakes and fuel-economy to the transport ministry, local media reported.

In the report, Suzuki revised the number of cars affected by improper fuel-economy inspections and data falsification to 11,070, up from 8,577 reported last September.

The company said that improper product inspections took place at three plants in Shizuoka Prefecture from April 2008 to last September.

The report also said the company has newly discovered that improper brakes inspections were conducted from June 1981 to this past January.

The company said the faulty inspections took place due to a shortage of inspectors and lack of supervision among other factors.

The automaker said it will spend 170 billion yen..

U.S. probes 675,000 Nissan SUVs over unexpected braking

FILE PHOTO: The 2018 Nissan Rogue is displayed at the 2017 New York International Auto Show in New York City, U.S. April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. auto safety agency is probing reports of potential unintended braking in 675,000 2017-2018 Nissan Motor Co Ltd Rogue vehicles, it said on Friday.… Continue reading U.S. probes 675,000 Nissan SUVs over unexpected braking

Fiat Chrysler CEO gives upbeat outlook for year

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The head of Fiat Chrysler gave an upbeat outlook for the year after a tricky end to last year and a slow start to this one, confirming it was on track to meet its targets. FILE PHOTO: John Elkann, Chairman of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group attends the presentation of the Science… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler CEO gives upbeat outlook for year

Fiat Chrysler ready for bold action to build solid future: chairman

FILE PHOTO: John Elkann, Chairman of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group attends the presentation of the Science Gateway, a new facility dedicated to scientific education and outreach, by architet Renzo Piano at the CERN in Meyrin near Geneva, Switzerland, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The chairman of Fiat Chrysler John Elkann… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler ready for bold action to build solid future: chairman

RPT-Fiat Chrysler ready for bold action to build solid future – chairman

AMSTERDAM, April 12 (Reuters) – The chairman of Fiat Chrysler John Elkann said on Friday he was ready for bold and creative decisions to help build a solid and attractive future for the carmaker. Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting Elkann said the group was ready to play a part in the “new and… Continue reading RPT-Fiat Chrysler ready for bold action to build solid future – chairman

Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers say his treatment is illegal and inhuman

Carlos Ghosn Prosecutors trying to force confession out of former Nissan chairman, says defence team A video interview with Carlos Ghosn during a press conference in Tokyo. Photograph: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers have condemned his latest arrest as “inhuman”, claiming it has interrupted his treatment for chronic kidney failure and that prosecutors were attempting… Continue reading Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers say his treatment is illegal and inhuman

Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi: a summit to get back to work

This had never been done, and one wonders why. Jean-Dominique Senard, the new president of Renault, invited this Thursday evening to dinner staffs and directors of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi in full force. The feasts must take place on the Champs-Elysées, at Atelier Renault. A friendly and inexpensive way to try to pick up the… Continue reading Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi: a summit to get back to work

Infiniti Qs Inspiration is the automaker’s idea for an EV sport sedan

Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept
Infiniti is on the back foot for electrified powertrains today.

The luxury automaker quietly shelved its hybrid powertrains in the past few years in the buildup toward an all-electric lineup sometime in the next few years.

On Wednesday, ahead of the 2019 Shanghai auto show, the Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept sedan gave us a glimpse of what may be coming in 2021 or shortly thereafter.

READ MORE: Is Infiniti now ready to launch an electric car, after all?

The Qs Inspiration sport sedan concept follows the QX Inspiration crossover, which made its debut at the 2019 Detroit auto show, and the Q Inspiration sedan that bowed at the 2018 Detroit auto show. Unlike those models, the Qs Inspiration sport sedan is light on details—no approximate wheelbase or range was offered by the automaker initially.

Instead, Infiniti pushed the ball slightly forward by hinting that the production model based on the Qs could have a slightly higher driving position and that all-wheel drive would be standard on upcoming electrified models. Infiniti has committed to an all-electric architecture in the near future, and it's likely that the production model based on the Qs Inspiration would be a relative of a sedan and crossover with common components.

Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept

The sport sedan concept skips Infiniti's past of sculpted body sides and rounded corners for a flatter, angular look that's punctuated by a handful of body creases. The automaker's philtrum—worn by the current Q60 coupe and QX50 crossover—appears on the new Qs Inspiration, too and draws down from the hood toward the front of the solid nose and extends to the bottom of the front fascia. A deeply set Infiniti badge is plunked in the middle of the nose, underscored by a wide “INFINITI” brand that's framed by a chrome baseline underneath it, similar to the QX Inspiration.

DON'T MISS: Infiniti QX Inspiration concept sets design direction for brand’s electric future

A blacked out A pillar draws the hood back toward the rear of the car but the roofline's rake doesn't appear to be as elegant or gently curving as the Nissan IMs concept, which we saw at the 2019 Detroit auto show. The Qs Inspiration's doors are creased in the middle, which creates a positive and negative space that breaks up the visual weight of its otherwise straight sheet metal. The long and thick beltline lifts the sedan higher, even though Infiniti promises a low center of gravity from its electric powertrain.

We'll have to wait to hear about details such as size, range, charging, battery capacity, and driving features, but we expect Infiniti to start shaping up its electrified future soon.